EFICENT launching event3rd of April 2009Friburg, Germany
EFI Mediterranean Regional Office –EFIMEDIn brief
Marc PalahiHead of EFIMED
Background for EFIMED
• The challenges related to the sustainable management of Mediterranean forests in a context of rapid global changes;
need: • Science based information for sound management and policy making.
International cooperation and research networking for:
• Mobilizing efficiently resources, enlarging and sharing knowledge, building capacities and improving the science-policy interface.
• EFI had the experience, expertise and appropriate research infrastructures to establish EFIMED
Mediterranean forests require special attention
Key role in the welfare of urban and rural societies
Important but non-market goods and services(2/3) of the total value is due to non-market services
Unique world’s natural heritage: exceptional biodiversity 25.000 species, 4 times more diverse in ¼ of the land
Affect the water and soil resources soil losses 15 tons/ha/yr, 60% of “water poor” countries are in Med region
Increase vulnerability to forest fires and land use changes in a context of climate change Temp. increase more than average and rainfall decrease
SCIENTIFICALLY BASED INFORMATION FOR SOUND MANAGEMENT POLICY MAKINGSCIENTIFICALLY BASED INFORMATION FOR SOUND MANAGEMENT POLICY MAKING
11 April 20234
Networking AdvocacyInformationResearchCapacity building
To promote, coordinate and conduct research on Mediterranean forests to promote their conservation and sustainable management
Implementing EFI strategy at a Mediterranean level
Strategic research topics
Networking AdvocacyInformationResearchCapacity building
Assessing the risk of forest fires and their socio-economic impact Assessing the risk of forest fires and their socio-economic impact
Water and forests interactions and trade-offs: forest management and water resources
Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services
Modelling Mediterranean forests, their products and servicesModelling Mediterranean forests, their products and services
Multi-objective forest planning tools to address the multifunctionality of Multi-objective forest planning tools to address the multifunctionality of Mediterranean forestsMediterranean forests
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Wildfires: a major axis of EFIMED activities
ResearchEFIMED research on modelling risk of fires and
inclusion in forest management planning
MASIFF – Development of a Methodology for the Analysis of Socio-economic Impact of Forest Fires and Economic Efficiency of Fire Management (EU funded project, 2009)
Capacity building“Summer school” on forest fires (April 2009,
Turkey) jointly with PHOENIX and COST
Information and advocacyEFIMED has coordinated a collective scientific assessment on wildfires (editor: Y. Birot); to improve the science policy interface
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EFIMED paper on “Living with wildfires”
Expressing the « voice of science » in such a hot debate
Gathering individual and collective expertise: EFI-PHOENIX, EU funded projects (FIREPARADOX), COST Action, etc
http://www.efi.int/attachments/publications/efi_discussion_paper_15.pdf
Strategic research topics
Networking AdvocacyInformationResearchCapacity building
Water and forests interactions and trade-offs: forest management and water Water and forests interactions and trade-offs: forest management and water resourcesresources
Assessing the risk of forest fires and their socio-economic impact
Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services
Modelling Mediterranean forests, their products and servicesModelling Mediterranean forests, their products and services
Multi-objective forest planning tools to address the multifunctionality of Multi-objective forest planning tools to address the multifunctionality of Mediterranean forestsMediterranean forests
• Water: the main limiting factor in the Mediterranean; water scarcity increase in relation to climate and land use changes;
• Mediterranean countries are home to 60% the world’s “water-60% the world’s “water-poor”poor” population with less than 1000 mless than 1000 m33/inhabitant/year/inhabitant/year
• By 2025, 63 million63 million of Mediterranean population would be in in need of waterneed of water (with less than 500 m3/inhabitant/year).
• Integrated watershed managementIntegrated watershed management needs to be given priority in order to preserve and improve the scarce, usable water potential
• Water and forest interactions and trade-offs have specific features in the Mediterranean
Forests can reduce erosion reduce erosion and improveand improve water quality water quality;
Forests consume waterForests consume water: evapo-transpiration up to 90%;
Water and forests in the Mediterranean
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Background for a new initiative
International Conference: « Water and Forests, a convenient truth? », (Barcelona, October 2008) and summer school on Water and forests 2008;
The need for: - a better understanding of the interactions of between forests and water and for
embedding this knowledge in policies;
- closing the gap between science and public perception;
EFIMED previous experience in “collective scientific assessment” (forest fires);”
a book on ““Water for forest and people Water for forest and people in the Mediterranean: a challenging in the Mediterranean: a challenging balance; what science can tell usbalance; what science can tell us
Networking AdvocacyAdvocacyInformationResearchCapacity building
Water and forests interactions and trade-offs: forest management and water Water and forests interactions and trade-offs: forest management and water resourcesresources
Assessing the risk of forest fires and their socio-economic impact Assessing the risk of forest fires and their socio-economic impact
Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and servicesValuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services
Modelling Mediterranean forests, their products and servicesModelling Mediterranean forests, their products and services
Multi-objective forest planning tools to address the multifunctionality of Multi-objective forest planning tools to address the multifunctionality of Mediterranean forestsMediterranean forests
Advocacy
Towards a Mediterranean forest research agenda (2009- 2020)
Content
1. Introduction
2. Challenges for the sustainability of Challenges for the sustainability of Mediterranean forests: the Mediterranean forests: the
joint visionjoint vision
3. Strategic research prioritiesStrategic research priorities
4. Capacity building and knowledge sharing
5. Implementing the MFRA
Why a MFRA?
Filling the gap of non-existing Scientific Research
Policies/Agendas in the south by building a “bridge”
North-South, East-West and south-south-east!
Missing National Agendas in Mediterranean countries
within the European Forest-Based Sector Platform
Enhancing the specificities, challenges and needs of
Mediterranean forests
Towards a MFRA?
EFIMED
Countries (agencies)FAO
Forest ownersNGOs
EC
Research communityEFIMED members
MFRA
Drafting and consultation ongoingDrafting and consultation ongoing
First draftFirst draft
ConsultationConsultation
Final draftFinal draft
Strategic research topics
Networking AdvocacyInformationResearchCapacity building
Water and forests interactions and trade-offs: forest management and water Water and forests interactions and trade-offs: forest management and water resourcesresources
Assessing the risk of forest fires and their socio-economic impact Assessing the risk of forest fires and their socio-economic impact
Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services
Modelling Mediterranean forests, their products and servicesModelling Mediterranean forests, their products and services
Multi-objective forest planning tools to address the multifunctionality of Multi-objective forest planning tools to address the multifunctionality of Mediterranean forestsMediterranean forests
Cooperation EFIMED-EFICENT ?Cooperation in “core funded” “concerted-actions-like” projects to
provide Pan-European comparitive studies:
Example: Profitability of Mediterranean Forests
EFIMED provides funds for meetings/grants and partners provide
their expertise and human resources/time.
Task 1: Review of institutional forest policy frameworks
Task 2: Costs of provision of market and non-market services
Task 3: Values of market and non-market goods and services
Task 4: Regional green accounting
Task 5: Policy recommendations
Veneto (Italy), Sousa Valley (Portugal) Veneto (Italy), Sousa Valley (Portugal)
Catalonia (Spain), Tunisia, Israel, .…Catalonia (Spain), Tunisia, Israel, .…
Thank you for your attention
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